Ironing machine



May 16,1944. H. A. SPER-LICH IRONING MACHINE "Filed April 9. 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 S m H TC N N R E a 0 Y? P T S A N m 4 R a E .H

May 16, 1944. H. A. SPERLICH IRONING MACHINE Filed April 9, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 R O T N E V m HERMAN A. S PEpR/LXIH ATTORNEY .,May 16, 1944- H. A. SPERLICHI Y 2 3 9 0 4 IRONING MACHINE Filed April 9, 193a 4 SheetS-heet s I INVENTOR HERMAN A. 57 BY UCH ATTORNEY M y 1944- H. A. SPERLICH IRONING MACHINE Filed April 9, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

Patented May 16, 1944 UNITED IRONING MACHINE Herman A. Sperlich, Highland Park, Mich.

Application April 9, 1938, Serial No. 201,048

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to ironing machines and more specifically to improvements in such machinesas are described and claimed in the reissued Patent No. 19,429, dated January 15, 1935.

Among the objects of the present invention is to provide a mechanism which is more efficient and reliable in operation and more easily controlled.

Another object is to simplify the construction so as to facilitate manufacture andrepair and decrease the possibilities of the need for the latter.

Still other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein similar reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an ironing machine involving the present invention.

Figure 2 is an end view-with parts omitted and parts in section. I

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the roll supporting and rotating means directly connected thereto.

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section through the gearing and clutch mechanism.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the main clutch.

Figure 5A is an elevation of the same but from the other side.

Figures 6 and '7 are sections on the lines 6-6 and 1--'l respectively of Figure 5.

Figures 8 and 9 are sections on the lines 8-8 and 9--9 respectively of Figure 4.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of one of the sliding keys.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the cam ring.

In the drawings, the ironing machine is shown as consisting of a supporting table or stand supported by legs 2| and having at the two ends thereofextensions 22, preferably hinged to permit reduction of space when not in use.

Since the machine is designed to permit its use with the operator seated, the table 20 may be somewhat lower than a conventional table and by reason of having its forward edge elevated as at 23 to permit the operator's knees to extend thereunder, in proximity to the control levers 24 and 25.

A suitable electric motor is supported below by means of a belt 28 enclosed in the housing 21.

The ironing elements consisting of a roll 30 and ironing shoe 3| are supported respectively upon the legs 30a and 3M. of a frame member in the form of an inverted U set in the top of the table 20 and acting as an integral part thereof.

The leg 3Ia, beside the shoe 3|, carries the several switches used in the control of the machine. For example, 3lb may be a switch for controlling the motor in housing 26, and 3lc may be a switch for the electric heating unit for shoe 3| while a pilot light may be located at 3|d. Further, at 3lf may be a thermostatic switch to regulate the heat of the shoe 3|. The ironing shoe and support construction is shown in Figure 2 and consists of a casting or other hollow metal support member 32 carried by the leg 31a and having suitable ears 33 upon which is fixed a feed board or table 34 of suitable non-heat-conducting material. The shoe 3| is preferably a cast iron shoe fixed over the hollow member 32 in which is located the electric heating means for the shoe. Further, suitable heat insulation may be used to line the member 32 and additional heat insulating guards 35 may be placed at each end thereof.

The other leg 30a of the U-frame is enlarged to form a housing for the roll operating mechanism including means for rotating and means for raising and lowering said roll and also means for controlling these operations.

The roll 30 is, as best shown in Figures 2 and 3, mounted between the arms of a yoke 40, one arm of which houses a chain and sprocket 40a by means of which the roll is rotated from a shaft 4| housed in one part of the horizontal tube 42 forming part of the yoke 40. In thefother part of the tube 42 carrying the other arm 40b of the yoke 40 is a torsion spring 43 fixed to the yoke at its outer end and having its inner end connected to the roll lift mechanism described later. The tube 42 is carried at its central portion in suitable bearings in the leg 30a of the main frame and, within the leg, is provided with suitable openings, opposite one of which is the small gear 45 fixed to one end of shaft 4i and by means of which the roll is rotated. Through the other opening extends the roll lift lever to be described.

The mechanism housed within the leg 30a as shown in Figures 2 to 9 comprises, first, the roll driving mechanism; second, the means for automatically stopping the roll when in elevated position; third, the means for permitting the roll to be lowered against the shoe without rotation:

the table in a housing 26 and drives the machine fourth. the po Operated r011 lowering and lifting means; and fifth, the emergency release for the roll.

As stated above, the several mechanisms are driven by means of a suitable electric motor in housing 25 through the belt 28. This belt drives a pulley 50 mounted upon a shaft 5| extending into the leg 38a and carrying a small gear 52. Gear 52 in turn drives a reducing gear 58 to which is fixed a small gear 53a and this meshes with a second reducing gear 54 carrying small gear 54a. This latter meshes with a larger gear 55 rotating freely upon a shaft 58 which extends from one side wall of leg 38a to the other and also has rotatably and slidably mounted thereon a small gear 51.

The adjacent faces of gears 55 and 51 are provided with clutch teeth 58 and gear 51 with the peripheral channel 59 in which operates a sliding yoke 58 on the lever 8|, so that the gear may be moved to and from driven relation with gear 55.

The gear 51 is of sufllcient width so as to maintain meshed relation with a small gear 52 which in turn meshes with gear 45 fixed upon the roll driving shaft 4i. Upon the face of gear 55 away from sliding gear 51 is a second set of clutch teeth 10 which coact with clutch mechanism for raising and lowering the roll. This clutch mechanism is shown best in Figures 4 to 7.

As shown in these figures, it consists of a cylindrical body H having, at the end toward gear 55, a flange 12 and at the other end the roll lifting cam 13. Next to flange I2 is a step I4 upon which slides a cam ring 15 which is fixed against rotation by means of a pin passing through a suitable opening in the piece I5 and fixed in a stationary part of the framework.

This cam ring 15 holds in two keys or dogs 88 sliding longitudinally in slots in the body I I, which slots extend from the flanged e'nd through the flange 12 and step 14. These keys 80 are of the form shown in Figure 10, being provided with a stop portion 80a, striking the ring 15 when retracted, and a cam portion 80b.

Next to the cam ring 15 is a sheet metal ring 83 provided with inwardly projecting tongues 83a coacting with lugs 84 on the body to prevent the ring 83 moving in the direction of flange 12. The ring 83 is also provided with tongues 83b acting against the rear ends of the sliding keys 88, and tending to thrust them in the direction of flange 12 in response to the action of a garter spring 85 which surrounds the clutch body, passing over the tongues 83b and under the lugs 84.

Next in order and fixed upon the clutch body is the cam 13 which as stated above is used to raise and lower the roll. This cam, as shown best in Figure 8 acts upon a roller 88 carried by an arm 9| swingably mounted upon a lever 92, the lower end of which is fixed upon the torsion springs 43 in the roll supporting yoke. This arm Si is maintained in the position of Figure 8, that is, a short distance off the line through shaft 55 and the hinge pin 8| a by means of a spring 82 attached to the arm and to lever 82. Further, the lever 82 is pulled downwardly by a strong spring 94 fixed to the end of the lever and to a lower stationary part of the frame work.

While, in ordinary operation, rotation of the cam 13 raises andlowers the roll, it sometimes happens that an emergency lifting of the roll is necessary. In such cases, the parts will, of course, be in the position shown in Figure 8, and when in such position the roll may be released by moving the handle 95 away from the operator, for example, from the Figure 8 position to the Figure 9 position.

For this purpose, the handle 85, is carried by a shaft 85a extending into the housing and carrying on its inner end a small crank 85b having a pin 85c adapted to act on arm 8| and move it beyond the center line of its hinge Din t0 the position shown in Figure 9, thereby allowing spring 84 to pull down lever 92 and lift the roll.

As shown in Figure 4, lever 92 also carries a pin, conveniently, hinge pin 8la, extending sufliciently far to act on lever 8|, so that, when the roll is lifted, through the downward movement of lever 82, the lever 5| is also moved to throw out the clutch 58 and stop the roll's rotation.

The control of the lifting of the roll and its rotation, through the several clutches, etc. is accomplished by the operator by means of the knee operated levers 24 and 25. Lever 24 is connected through suitable linkage (not shown) to a vertically movable rod I (see Figures 2 and 4) having at its upper end an arm extending laterally over the clutch lever 5| and when moved downwardly by pressing lever 24 to the left (Fig. 1) maintains the clutch elements 58 out of engagement.

Lever 25 is likewise connected to a vertically movable rod H, the upper end of which rests normally between the portion 88b of one of the keys 88 and the narrow part 15a of cam ring 15, so that when the rod llll is moved downwardly through the action of lever 25, it allows the key 88 to move into engagement with the teeth 18 On gear 55.

The roll lifting clutch above described operates as follows: Assuming the parts in the position of Figure 4, the gear 55 to be in rotation, and it is wished to lower the roll. When the rod l8l is moved downwardly, by pressing lever 25 momentarily, due to the action of garter spring 85, the key 88, which has been held out by the rod, immediately moves to the right (Figure 4) and engages one of the teeth 10 on gear 55, and remains in engagement for one half revolution of the clutch until it strikes the cam 15b 0n the cam ring 15 and is withdrawn (Figure 8 shows the key 80 immediately prior to being withdrawn). If the rod is held down, the clutch will repeat this each time one of the keys reaches the position of Figure 4. On the other hand, if the lever 25 is pressed and immediately allowed to return, one of the keys will cause the half revolution, while the other is held out by the wider portion of cam ring 15. By the time the active key has reached cam 15b, and has been withdrawn, the inactive key has moved around to the position of Figure 4 and is resting on the rod IOI, so that both keys are inactive.

It should be noted that the cam ring 15 is provided with two cam portions, 15b and 150, the latter being formed on the sheet metal plate 15 welded to the ring 15. This cam 15c acts on the ring 83 as indicated in Figure 8 and lifts it at the same time that cam 15b retracts the key 88, and the two cams are so related and proportioned that the ring 83 is moved a somewhat greater distance than the key 80. The result of this is that the key is entirely relieved of spring pressure when retracted and consequently cannot strike the edges of the slots 10.

Now having described the invention and the preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that said invention ls to be limited, not

to the specific details herein set forth, but only by the scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. A support for an ironing machine consisting of a table having a small portion of its area at one side and an edge adjacent thereto elevated above the remaining portion thereof whereby to provide a low level table while avoiding interference with a seated operators knees.

2. In an ironing machine having an ironing element and a roll movable toward and from the element, a gear adapted to be continuously rotated and having slots in one of its faces, a rotatable clutch body adjacent said gear, a pair of diametrically oppositely located keys carried by said body and movable to engage in said slots, a stationary cam ring surrounding said body and provided with means for withdrawing and holding said keys from gear engagement during one half a revolution of said body, manually operable means for temporarily retaining one of said keys from gear engagement while the other is maintained out of engagement by said ring, spring means tending to cause such engagement, a cam carried by said body, and roll moving means coacting with said cam.

3. In an ironing machine having a stationary ironing element and a cooperating ironing element movable toward and from the stationary element, one of said elements being rotatable, and also having means for moving the one element and means for producing element rotation, a gear adapted to be continuously rotated and having clutch elements on both faces, those on one face being directed toward the rotating means and those on the other face being directed toward the element moving means, movable cooperating clutch elements included in said rotating means whereby the latter may be actuated by or disconnected from said gear, a lever for moving said movable clutch elements and an arm carried by the ironing element moving means and adapted to operate said lever to cause such disconnection when the one ironing element is moved away from the other.

4. In an ironing machine having a stationary element and a cooperating ironing element movable toward and from the stationary element, one of said elements being rotatable, and also I having means for moving the one element and means for producing element rotation, a constantly rotating gear having clutch elements on both faces, those on one face being directed toward the rotating means and those on the other face being directed toward the element moving means, movable cooperating clutch elements included in said rotating means whereby the latter may be actuated by or disconnected from said gear, a lever for moving said movable clutch elements and an arm carried by the ironing element moving means and adapted to operate said lever to cause such disconnection when the one ironing element is moved away from the other, and personally operable means for moving said lever to and maintaining it in disconnecting relation.

HERMAN A. SPERLICH. 

